“T-Rob,” he called out to Thomas Robinson, the rookie picked up in last week’s trade deadline move. “Come over here.”

In a move typical of McHale in training camp and extremely rare for him during the season, he walked Robinson, the 21-year-old power forward selected with the fifth pick of last spring’s draft, to the other end of the court and began working with him in the low blocks.

The session was short. McHale had said he really would not begin molding Robinson in the ways of low post plays that brought McHale to the Hall of Fame and that he has loved to teach since. But it might have been enough to give the Rockets’ youngest player a taste of what is to come.

“I can learn from one of the greats of the game,” Robinson said. “Also, I can’t say it enough, I get a second chance.

“It’s a blessing. I can’t even say excited; I’m just blessed to be here in the situation they’re in to get the opportunity to get a second chance.”

Robinson and Francisco Garcia, also acquired in last week’s trade that sent Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich and Toney Douglas to Sacramento, did not play in the first two games since the deal while waiting for the physicals needed for every player involved to be cleared.

Robinson will be the eighth player taken in the first five picks since 1966 (when the NBA ended territorial draft rights) to play for two teams in his rookie season.